YOUTH workers today revealed the service they provide in Liverpool is approaching crisis point.

YOUTH workers today revealed the service they provide in Liverpool is approaching crisis point.

The union which represents the staff has said there are not enough qualified youth workers to do the job properly.

Government figures say Liverpool should have 396 full-time youth workers to deal with the 45,000 13 to 19-year-olds in the city - but there are only 113.

The news comes as Liverpool council issued five youth centres with 90-day notices of withdrawal of funding because they say they are not good enough.

But Larry McCready, chairman of the staff side of the Community and Youth Workers Union, says these centres and others like them will find it hard to improve because of changes Liverpool council is trying to make to the workers' pay and conditions.

Mr McCready says there have been no negotiations despite requests for meetings and the changes, which they believe will mean less money and holidays, and could result in many qualified staff leaving the profession and new workers will be put off from applying.

He said: "We are approaching a crisis in the numbers of youth workers and they won't recruit the right calibre of worker if they are paying the wrong terms and conditions.

"We have asked for meetings to discuss this but they are being pushed through without negotiations."

Stuart Smith, Liverpool's assistant director for education, responsible for youth services, insists no youth worker will be paid less money under the new conditions.

He added: "The ratio of workers which says we are short is the number recommended by youth work agencies and obviously they would like to see hundreds of youth workers but no authority meets that ratio."

Mr Smith says Liverpool spends a lot more than it is instructed to by the government on youth services, including an extra £1.1m on the recent Summer Splash programme of events for young people.

He pledged: "Nobody will get less pay and we will look into the holiday issue."